Consumer Safety Inspector

Department Of Agriculture•Chesterfield, NJ

57d•$40,332 - $79,443

About The Position

$5,000 Sign on Bonus, Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual, Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, Accelerated Promotion Program, and Referral Bonus Awards are available. Shifts and species will vary based on assignment. For additional information call Laura Hutchison at 919-214-1984 or [email protected]. Employee will primarily work in one or two plants but may be detailed to any shift at any plant in the Raleigh District. $5,000 Sign on Bonus, Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual, Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, Accelerated Promotion Program, and Referral Bonus Awards are available. Shifts and species will vary based on assignment. For additional information call Laura Hutchison at 919-214-1984 or [email protected]. Employee will primarily work in one or two plants but may be detailed to any shift at any plant in the Raleigh District.

Requirements

Training as a condition of employment (TCOE) is required. You must begin the training within 90 days of the effective date of your selection, and you must successfully complete it within 12 months of the effective date of your selection.
You must be a US Citizen or US National.
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
Successful completion of a pre-employment medical examination.
Must be at least 18 years of age.
Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
If you are selected, you may need to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) prior to being appointed to determine suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.
False statements or responses on a resume or application can jeopardize employment and may be grounds for disciplinary action, including removal from Federal service.
Should be able to read, speak, write, and effectively communicate in the English language.
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement, including specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
For the GS-05 Level: Applicants must have at least 52 weeks of qualifying experience that provided knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities and substances; such as: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or other food or beverages for human consumption, or other ingestible substances, such as pharmaceuticals. You are to show in your resume examples such as applying proper techniques for collecting samples and/or performing field tests and examinations (e.g. identifying abnormalities in the product or production environment and recommending corrective actions), developing written reports and/or reporting findings of results orally (e.g. documenting abnormalities in the product or production environment and communicating those findings to others), and/or skill in maintaining effective personal contacts with a variety of individuals (e.g. discussing findings with internal or external contacts regarding the food safety standards established in the production environment), or other similar work making determinations on products for human consumption or the production environment (e.g. ensuring conformance with established standards). Such experience may have been acquired working positions such as consumer safety inspector or inspection aid, food inspector, public health inspector, quality inspection specialist, or other related position.
For the GS-07 Level: In addition to the qualifications above, applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 level), and incumbents are expected to have performed standard and recurrent duties on an independent basis. Your resume should demonstrate at least 52 weeks of experience in independently carrying out routine, standard assignments on a regular and recurring basis that provided you with knowledge of the properties and characteristics of regulated food commodities and substances; such as: meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or other food for human consumption, and other ingestible substances, such as pharmaceuticals.
For the GS-08 Level: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-07 level). In addition to the qualifications above, experience must include working with the Federal Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products Inspection Acts in order to inspect meat, poultry and egg products; working with basic SSOP and HACCP principles and practices in order to verify plant HACCP and SSOP responsibilities; performing basic mathematics and elementary statistical concepts and methods to perform testing and sampling procedures; and experience in reaching and interpreting conclusions.
For the GS-09 Level: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-08 level). In addition to the qualifications above, incumbents are expected to have experience working at a more independent level than lower graded CSIs, which may include duties such as recommending refusal of exports and providing temporary coverage at locations outside of the official duty station.
Be physically/medically able to efficiently perform the essential job functions, without being a direct threat to themselves and others.
Have full range of motion to perform rapid repetitive twisting and working with arms above shoulder level.
Be able to stand/walk on slippery and uneven floors and catwalks and climbing stairs and ladders.
Be able to lift, carry, push and pull up to 30lbs, with occasional lifting of up to 50lbs.
Have manual dexterity of the upper body, including arms, hands, and fingers with a normal sense of touch in both hands.
Have good near and distance vision, be free of chronic eye disease and have correctable vision of at least 20/40 in one eye.
Have the ability to distinguish shades of color. Any significant degree of color blindness (more than 25% error rate on approved color plate test) may be disqualifying.
Individuals with some hearing loss and/or requiring hearing amplification will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Responsibilities

Ensure that regulated establishments produce a safe product by executing appropriate inspection methods, determining non-compliance with regulatory requirements, documenting noncompliance and initiating enforcement action, where warranted.
Verify that meat and poultry slaughter and/or processing establishment's Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plans meet regulatory requirements.
Verify execution of Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plans effectively to prevent unsanitary conditions and adulteration of product.
Review records, observe plant operations and conduct hands-on verification to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and prepare detailed documentation (Non-Compliance Records) of non-compliance with regulatory requirements.
Determine when regulatory control action is necessary. You will assess whether the plant's corrective or preventative actions are acceptable and effective, if there are trends in non-compliance, or if enforcement action is warranted.
Conduct regulatory oversight activities inside plants in matters relating to other consumer protections (e.g., economic adulteration and misbranding).
Have contact with plant managers, owners and others to explain legal and regulatory requirements, discuss operation of the plant's SSOP, HACCP plan and other food safety programs.
Communicate and defend determinations on non-compliance issues and discuss plans for addressing non-compliance.
Work with a variety of individuals to resolve problems, clarify differences of interpretation concerning HACCP and other food safety or consumer protection requirements.
Advise other Agency inspectors, supervisors and officers on inspection and enforcement matters for which you are involved.
Conduct various samplings, surveys and tests to obtain pertinent data on potential problem areas, industry trends, or other issues of current interest to the Agency.
Be involved in performing health and safety verification sampling and tests for detection of specific microbes (e.g., salmonella, listeria, etc.), residues or contaminants.
Assure that products approved for import are in full compliance with all applicable Federal regulations governing the importation of meat and poultry products.
Authorize entry of all meat or poultry products considered to comply with Federal regulations or refuse entry of any products which violate any of the requirements for admission into this country.
Coordinate with other Federal agencies (e.g., the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service or U.S. Customs and Border Protection) on such matters as animal health restrictions and refused entry lots.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
Selectees may be eligible for Creditable Service for Annual Leave Accrual (CSALA)Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program visit: PSLF Program. The positions advertised offer a referral bonus award of $1,000.
This position is eligible for the Consumer Safety Inspector Accelerated Promotion Program. This program makes exceptions to the time-in-grade and qualification requirements to allow a single accelerated career ladder promotion to a GS-7 or GS-8 in less than 1-year.

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